Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable bottle cap adapted for identifying the owner or contents of a bottle or a container. More specifically, the present invention describes a bottle cap with one or more dials that help individuals identify their beverage bottle. The dials feature various characters such as letters, numbers, or symbols that are displayed through a window cutout on top or side of the cap. A user can turn the dials to display a particular combinations of letters, numbers, or symbols. The bottle cap is designed to fit a valve or an opening for a standard size beverage bottle, thereby allowing users to use the present invention with a wide variety of beverage bottles or containers. The bottle cap helps distinguish a beverage bottle from another beverage bottle similar in appearance, which prevents confusion and spread of germs.
Many individuals drink water, soft drinks, and other beverages from disposable plastic bottles. Disposable plastic beverage bottles tend to be similar in appearance to other disposable plastic bottles. Particularly when individuals are drinking the same beverage in a social gathering, it is often impossible to distinguish one bottle from the other. When individuals put their drinks down and cannot remember which bottle is theirs, half-consumed drinks are often tossed out to avoid unintentionally drinking another person's drink. In an effort to identify their beverage bottle, some individuals attempt to label their bottles with markers, but marker ink can be quickly wiped off by the condensation that forms on the bottle's surface. Other individuals choose to rip off the beverage's label in hopes of identifying their bottles, but this does not work if multiple individuals remove the label. Similar bottle appearances often cause individuals to inadvertently drink from the wrong bottle, which can lead to spread of bacteria and germs.
The present invention is a bottle cap designed to assist individuals in identifying their beverage bottles, without the need to mark the bottle or alter the appearance of the bottle label. Individuals can use the present invention to display his or her initials or a particular combination of letters, numbers, or symbols, which is easy to read. Once a user adjusts the dials of the present invention to display the desired combination of letters, numbers, or symbols, the user can lock the combination in place by using a locking mechanism on the device. The locking mechanism on the device prevents the user from accidentally rotating the dials and changing the combination of letters, numbers, or symbols. The locking mechanism can be easily unlocked when the user is ready to change the combination of letters, numbers, or symbols.
The present invention helps to prevent individuals from unintentionally drinking out of the wrong beverage bottle by helping the user to easily identify his or her bottle. Additionally, the present invention can be used to identify the contents in a bottle or container. For instance, a user having a special dietary restrictions or allergies can utilize the present invention to display identifying information about contents of the bottle to avoid inadvertently consuming the contents. The present invention is reusable and may be used with various types of beverage bottles having a standard size valve, allowing users to use the bottle cap with a different beverage bottle. Further, the present invention can help prevent individuals from transmitting germs or from drinking out of a beverage bottle containing liquids that could cause hypersensitive reactions to certain individuals.
Description of the Prior Art
Patents have been granted to several devices that attempt to facilitate the identification of beverage bottles of the owner, and further to those emphasizing versatile use with various types of beverage bottles. Many bottle caps require a user to make markings on a cap or remember a designed marking on a bottle or a container. These devices, however, fail to provide a reusable bottle cap device adapted to be positioned on a bottle having a standard size valve, and that further includes letters, numbers, or symbols disposed on one or more dials, which improves the identification of beverage bottles similar in appearance. In further comparison to the prior art, the present invention does not require a user to make a marking with a writing utensil or remember a designated code or design on a bottle thereby providing more convenience in a solution that improves the identification of beverage bottles similar in appearance. Thus, the present invention addresses the prominent shortcomings relating to bottle caps that commonly reside in the art and provides a novel solution relating to identifying one bottle from another.
Specifically, U.S. Publication Patent Application Number 2012/0138563 to Brumfield discloses an identifiable cap for a beverage container. The Brumfield device features a small region on top of the cap that has a small writable surface. Unlike the present invention, the Brumfield device requires a user to mark the cap with a writing utensil to identify his or her beverage container. While the writable surface on the cap allows the user to identify his or her beverage container, the Brumfield device is limited to use with a writing utensil, which can be problematic and inconvenient. The marking can also be rubbed off of the cap, unless a cover or a film is used to protect the marked surface. In contrast, the present invention is capable of allowing the user to mark his or her beverage without a writing utensil. Additionally, the Brumfield device includes identifying tags with pre-stamped symbols. However, the tags would not help distinguish one bottle from another if multiple individuals used the same tag. On the other hand, the present invention allows a user to display one of hundreds of combinations of letters, numbers, or symbols, significantly reducing the possibility of multiple individuals displaying the same combination of letters, numbers, or symbols. Furthermore, the present invention comprises a locking mechanism that allows the user to lock the combination until the user is ready to change it. As such, the user cannot inadvertently change the combination of letters, numbers, or symbols while using the present invention.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,930 to Cassidy discloses a bottle cap for identifying beverages. The Cassidy device includes layers of coating on the top and sides of a bottle cap and a ring attached thereto. The Cassidy device requires a user to scratch random marks on the cap, exposing a layer of different color underneath. The alignment of the marking with respect to the cap and the ring allows the user to identify his or her bottle. While the Cassidy device can provide a unique marking for an individual user, its use is very limited. Specifically, the user can scratch off the entire layer of coating during single use, or inadvertently make a marking while using the device. Unlike the present invention, the Cassidy device is suitable for a short-term use. As such, the purpose and design of the Cassidy device diverges in intent and design from the present invention, which discloses a plurality of dials that can clearly display a variety of combinations of letters, numbers, or symbols featured on its top surface. The present invention is suited for repeated use over time, and is not limited to short-term use. Further, in contrast to the Cassidy device, the present invention allows a user to change the displayed letters, numbers, or symbols as desired.
U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2013/0036634 to Key discloses a rotating label for various containers. The label disclosed in Key contains information that coordinates with information printed on an interior portion of a closure for the container. The label is adapted to be interactive with the closure particularly for beverage companies to promote contests and other information. Thus, the closure in Key has limited use without the label. While the closure in Key comprises information printed on an interior portion of the closure, it does not provide identifying information personal to the user. As such, the purpose and design of the Key device diverges in intent and design from the present information, which discloses a bottle cap displaying identifying information on a top surface thereof, and wherein the bottle cap is encases one or more dials that can be rotated by the user to display a particular combination of letters, numbers, or symbols. In addition, the present invention is suitable for use with various styles of beverage bottles so long as the valve of the beverage bottle is a standard size valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,446 to Moran discloses a collection of colored beverage caps adapted for conventional beverage bottles. A single color is designated to a single user to indicate a user of the beverage bottle. While the Moran device can easily identify multiple beverage bottles, the Moran device has limited use because only a set number of caps with different colors are available. Accordingly, the Moran device is not desirable when there are not enough colors for all of the users to have a different colored cap at one time. In contrast, the present invention does not limit the number of users that can use the device at any one time. The present invention is capable of displaying one of hundreds of different combination of letters, numbers, or symbols such that the possibility of any two users displaying a same combination of letters, numbers, or symbols is highly unlikely and easily preventable. Further, the present invention allows a user to change the identifying information displayed by rotating the dials on the bottle cap.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2012/0241451 to Pether discloses a cap adapted for pill bottles that indicate tamper evidence, comprising a lid, a liner, and a spring. The Pether device requires a user to push down on the lid before opening the bottle to prevent a tab from becoming damaged or punctured, which would indicate tempering. Unlike the present invention, the Pether device is not adapted to indicate which bottle belongs to which user. Rather, the Pether cap is adapted to identify any tampering with the bottle and its contents, which is evidenced by a damaged tab attached to the cap. In this respect, the objective and design of the Pether device differs from the objective and design of the present invention, which discloses a bottle cap for displaying identifying information to indicate which beverage bottle belongs to a particular user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,573 to Fuerstman discloses an identification system for individual containers of a consumer pack of beverages. The Fuerstman device comprises identifying indicia, such as a code, printed onto the label of the container or directly onto the container. Although the identifying indicia in Fuerstman assists in distinguishing one container from another, the identifying indicia cannot be reused because it is unique to the particular container that it is attached to. Furthermore, the Fuerstman device has limited use because labels can be easily torn off of the container, and printed materials can be easily wiped off by the condensation on the bottle surface. The present invention addresses the issue by displaying the identifying indicia on a reusable bottle cap, allowing users to display letters, numbers, or symbols of their choice.
While Brumfield, Cassidy, Key, Moran, and Fuerstman disclose an identification system for beverage bottles, U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,517 to King discloses an identification system for glassware. Specifically, the King device discloses a trinket attached to an annular member that clings onto a piece of glassware, where the color or design of the trinket assists users in distinguishing one glass from another. Unlike the present invention, the King device is primarily intended for use with reusable glassware having a stem or a handle, such as wine glasses, beer mugs, or cocktail glasses. The King device is not adapted for beverage bottles or containers, and fails to address the issues of identifying one beverage bottle from another that is similar in appearance. As such, applications of the King device will not be desirable for use in disposable or reusable beverage bottles in which differentiating bottles similar in appearance is a concern. It is unlikely that a user will cling a trinket to a beverage bottle. Rather, users will desire a bottle cap such as the present invention, which allows users to display identifying information on the cap of the beverage bottle.
The present invention relates to a beverage bottle cap adapted to display identifying information, allowing a user to easily identify his or her bottle. The bottle cap comprises one or more dials having letters, numbers, or symbols printed along the outer edge of its visible surface. The three dials are stacked on top of the other such that the third dial is at the bottom, the second dial is at the middle, and the first dial is at the top. The dials are enclosed in a bottle cap housing, which comprises at least one cutout on the top or the side of the housing. A user can access the edge of the dials through the cutout on the side of the housing and can turn the dials using his or her thumb or finger until a desired combination of letters, numbers, and symbols is displayed on the cap. The present invention can be used with a standard size valve on various beverage bottles. It is therefore submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing bottle cap devices that facilitate identification of the owner. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.